The dark speech, the foulest language any mortal could venture to learn. A few of its syllables unleash unspeakable evil into the world. Any being foolish enough to invoke even an ounce of its power is dangerous indeed, but more dangerous still are the Hell Singers, the members of evilís choir who string the dark speech together into abominable songs that may well end the world with their despicable notes.

Dark Music: You've unlocked the ability to sing out unspeakable songs. Once/day/Hell Singer level, you may spend a use of your Dark Music to produce an unholy effect. Bardic Music uses stacks with Dark Music to determine daily uses. A Hell Singer may choose to exclude any creature she wishes from a Dark Music effect.
Song of Fear [Su]: By spending a use of Dark Music, a Hell Singer may force all creatures within 30ft. of you to make a Will Save (DC 10+Hell Singer Level+ CHA modifier) or be panicked for 1 round/ Hell Singer Level. This ability lasts as long as the Singer continues to sing. A creature that succesfully saves against this effect cannot be affected again by the same Hell Singer's Song of Fear for 24 hours.
Song of Hate [Su]: A Hell Singer with 9 ranks in Perform (Sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to force all creatures within 30ft. of the Hell Singer to a Will Save (DC 10+ Hell Singer Level+CHA modifier) or become hostile to all creatures except for the Hell Singer. This ability lasts until the subject leaves the effects area or until the Hell Singer stops singing. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same Hell Singer's Song of Hate for 24 hours.
Song of Pain [Su]: A Hell Singer with 11 ranks in perform (sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to sing a song of pain. The Hell Singer makes a perform (sing) check. All creatures within 30 ft. of the Hell Singer must make a fortitude save (DC = perform check result) or take 1d6/ 2 Hell Singer levels damage each round they spend in the area of this effect. Each round requires a new save to resist the effect. This ability lasts as long as the Hell Singer continues to sing to a maximum of 1 min./level.
Song of Fiend Gathering A Hell Singer with 13 ranks in perform (sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to sing a song that echoes throughout the lower planes. The Hell Singer may summon a number of demons or devils (this choice must be made the first time the Hell Singer uses this ability and cannot be changed later.) with a total number of HD of no more than twice the Hell Singer's level. These fiends will obey the Hell Singer's orders (which can be weaved into the song to allow the Hell Singer to continue singing), and remain until the Hell Singer stops singing to a maximum of one hour/ 2 Class Levels. These fiends must be taken from the Summon Monster list in the Player's Handbook. This ability may only be used once/day.

Steal Voice: Once/day, Hell singer of 5th level can make a touch attack against a living mortal forcing the mortal to make a Will Save (DC 10+Hell Singer Level+ CHA modifier) or become muted for one minute/ Hell Singer level. The Hell Singer receives a number of uses of Dark Music equal to the victim's HD. These uses replenish uses already spent, and cannot allow the Hell Singer to exceed her normal number of uses.

Abyssal Lullaby: Any willing mortal creature that listens to this song for a number of rounds equal to its HD receives the ability to transform into a horrific fiend. During the time that this song is being sung, the Hellsinger may not perform any other strenuous activity or the song instantly fails and delivers 1d6/HD vile damage to the creature listening. Each round, the subject must make a Will save to prevent his soulís desperate attempt to flee the Lullaby. Any failed save results in the soul tearing itself from the subjectís body instantly killing him. Each successful save forces the soul to be torn apart by the songís hellish power delivering 1d6 to the listening creature.
At the end of this ritual, if the creature is still alive, his soul has been torn and twisted into a monstrous creature. The creatureís alignment changes to evil and it gains the Half-Fiend template, though it does not gain any skill points for its racial Hit Dice. It may return to its human form as a full round action, and change back to its fiendish form in the same way, but the bite and claw attacks as well as the spell-like abilities are only useable while in the fiendish form.
Creatures successfully changed by this process are irresistibly compelled to obey the Hell Singer who transformed them. A Hell Singer may not control more than twice his/her HD worth of creatures in this manner.

The Final Note: At 10th level, a Hell Singer with 18 ranks in perform (sing) may combine all the songs she knows and sing them to their entirety. Using this ability requires that the Hell Singer not use any other song for a week and have every use of Dark and Bardic Music available. She cannot do anything strenuous for the day this ability is used including fighting, singing more than a few notes of mundane music, or casting spells.
Using this ability takes a full hour , and consists of the Hell Singer singing each song she has learned in the order that she learned them without rest. Everyone listening must make a Will Save (DC 20+CHA modifier). Those who fail the save feel strongly compelled to listen to the remainder of the song, though they can be persuaded to leave. The effects of each song still occur as normal, though the Hell Singer cannot choose to exclude creatures in the effects' areas from said effects. At the end of the hour, the music swells to a finish, and every creature within hearing range that made their save gets the undeniable feeling that something awful is about to happen. 5 rounds later, every mortal creature still within earshot must make a second save (Same DC) with the exception of the Hell Singer and any creatures she has transformed with her Abyssal Lullaby, or cease to exist.
They are not transported to another plane or killed, they simply cease to exist. All buildings and geographical structures remain unchanged, but every creature within hearing range no longer exists. These creatures cannot be brought back to life by any means. They are simply gone; as irretrievable as the last fading note.

Arakune

2008-03-09, 04:03 PM

Give then a will save or else it will be too strong.

StoryKeeper

2008-03-09, 04:10 PM

I assume you mean the Final Note? The only thing with offering a will save is that if there's a chance people will be able to survive, then it kind of ruins the whole "entire cities disappear" kind of thing. Perhaps if I set the save high enough to prevent almost all the commoners and a good number of upper level characters...

I may indeed add that, but I'll wait on more input.

Lizardfolk Lich

2008-03-09, 04:22 PM

Good god, Final note is bad.:smalleek: Entire cities disappearing instantly is very bad. Never ever give that kind of power to anything.

SilentNight

2008-03-09, 04:23 PM

I second the will save. Either that or reduce the area by a lot. The way it is, the character could just camp 9 miles from the BBGG's fortress and no more BBGG. It is freakishly over powered. I do love the concept though.

Dark Music: You've unlocked the ability to sing out unspeakable songs. Once/day/Hell Singer level, you may spend a use of your Dark Music to produce an unholy effect. Bardic Music uses stacks with Dark Music to determine daily uses. A Hell Singer may choose to exclude any creature she wishes from a Dark Music effect.
Song of Fear [Su]: By spending a use of Dark Music, a Hell Singer may force all creatures within 30ft. of you to make a Will Save (DC 10+Hell Singer Level+ CHA modifier) or be panicked for 1 round/ Hell Singer Level. This ability lasts as long as the Singer continues to sing. Each round spent in the range of this ability requires a new save if the creature has not yet succumbed to the effect.

Okay. Right off the bat a Bard 5/Hell Singer 1 can panic things 6/day, effectively ending combat. There should at least be a HD cap on this (only works on things of your HD or less, for example). Also, the save should be a once only thing, rendering the creature immune for 24 hours (as is standard for many fear effects).

Song of Hate [Su]: A Hell Singer with 9 ranks in Perform (Sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to force all creatures within 30ft. of the Hell Singer to a Will Save (DC 10+ Hell Singer Level) or become hostile to all creatures except for the Hell Singer. This ability lasts until the subject leaves the effects area or until the Hell Singer stops singing. Each round spent inside the area of the effect requires a new save to resist the song if the creature has not yet succumbed to the effect.

Nice effect. But, for the power of the effect, it should be a flat save (once and then negates). Finally, the DC should add in Charisma. Possibly have it cost 2 or more uses of Dark Music.

Song of Pain [Su]: A Hell Singer with 11 ranks in perform (sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to sing a song of pain. The Hell Singer makes a perform (sing) check. All creatures within 60 ft. of the Hell Singer must make a fortitude save (DC = perform check result) or take 1d6/ 2 Hell Singer levels damage each round they spend in the area of this effect. Each round requires a new save to resist the effect. This ability lasts as long as the Hell Singer continues to sing to a maximum of 1 min./level.

Nice, although the radius is a bit much. Maybe down it to 30ft.

Song of Fiend Gathering A Hell Singer with 13 ranks in perform (sing) may spend a use of Dark Music to sing a song that echoes throughout the lower planes. The Hell Singer may summon a number of demons or devils (this choice must be made the first time the Hell Singer uses this ability and cannot be changed later.) with a total number of HD of no more than twice the Hell Singer's level. These fiends will obey the Hell Singer's orders (which can be weaved into the song to allow the Hell Singer to continue singing), and remain until the Hell Singer stops singing to a maximum of one hour/ 2 Class Levels. These fiends must be taken from the Summon Monster list in the Player's Handbook. This ability may only be used once/day.

Nice. Probably balanced, although I'm not sure.

Steal Voice: A Hell singer of 5th level can make a touch attack against a living mortal forcing the mortal to make a Will Save (DC 10+Hell Singer Level+ CHA modifier) or become muted for one day/ Hell Singer level. The Hell Singer receives a number of uses of Dark Music equal to the victim's HD. These uses replenish uses already spent, and cannot allow the Hell Singer to exceed her normal number of uses.

Um...insanely good. A complete caster-killer with no limits per day AND it refuels dark music? No. This needs alteration. I'd say once a day/point of Charisma modifier, and each use grants 1 additional use of Dark Music.

Abyssal Lullaby: Any willing mortal creature that listens to this song for a number of rounds equal to its HD receives the ability to transform into a horrific fiend. During the time that this song is being sung, the Hellsinger may not perform any other strenuous activity or the song instantly fails and delivers 1d6/HD vile damage to the creature listening. Each round, the subject must make a Will save to prevent his soulís desperate attempt to flee the Lullaby. Any failed save results in the soul tearing itself from the subjectís body instantly killing him. Each successful save forces the soul to be torn apart by the songís hellish power delivering 1d6 to the listening creature.
At the end of this ritual, if the creature is still alive, his soul has been torn and twisted into a monstrous creature. The creatureís alignment changes to evil and it gains the Half-Fiend template, though it does not gain any skill points for its racial Hit Dice. It may return to its human form as a full round action, and change back to its fiendish form in the same way, but the bite and claw attacks as well as the spell-like abilities are only useful while in the fiendish form.
Creatures successfully changed by this process are irresistibly compelled to obey the Hell Singer who transformed them. A Hell Singer may not control more than twice his/her HD worth of creatures in this manner.

Not even sure how to comment on this one...interesting, to say the least.

The Final Note: At 10th level, a Hell Singer with 18 ranks in perform (sing) may combine all the songs she knows and sing them to their entirety. Using this ability requires that the Hell Singer not use any other song for a week and have every use of Dark and Bardic Music available. She cannot do anything strenuous for the day this ability is used including fighting, singing more than a few notes of mundane music, or casting spells.
Using this ability takes a full hour, and consists of the Hell Singer singing each song she has learned in the order that she learned them without rest. The effects of each song still occur as normal, though the Hell Singer cannot choose to exclude creatures in the effects' areas from said effects. At the end of the hour, the music swells to a finish, and every creature within 10 miles gets the undeniable feeling that something awful is about to happen. 3 rounds later, every mortal creature still within 10 miles with the exception of the Hell Singer and any creatures she has transformed with her Abyssal Lullaby cease to exist.
They are not transported to another plane or killed, they simply cease to exist. All buildings and geographical structures remain unchanged, but every creature within the 10 miles no longer exists. These creatures cannot be brought back to life by any means. They are simply gone.

No. Just no. This is more powerful than many high level EPIC spells, and THOSE usually allow a saving throw.

Maybe if this were only available at level 20, required several DAYS to perform, during which the sense of dread began to point closer and closer to the caster, and if it wasn't available to PCs. But this is a level 15-16 nuke requiring one hour and only gives 3 rounds of warning. This is FAR TO GOOD.

StoryKeeper

2008-03-09, 04:32 PM

Yes, I believe you are all right in your suggestions. I'll start working out ways to balance out the powers. As for the final note, I kind of started thinking back and forth between PC and BBEG, and before I realized it, I had a city-destroying ability. I do want to keep the power, though I'll definitely be figuring out a way to balance it out.

Thank you for advice, and please keep it coming.

edit: Ok, I made some changes. First of all, Final Note now only affects those listening to the songs, and also offers a Will Save. Those who make their saves are not only not affected by it, but get a bad feeling, and will probably try to help the others. For the whole city-destroying thing, a BBEG could simply have devised a way (probably magical) to broadcast his/her voice to the city.

Also, most of the other abilities have been changed so that they cannot be attempted repeatedly, and Steal Voice has been made a 1/day thing and its muting duration has been decreased.